Annual Under 15 Boys' Tournament

As part of Winter Tournament Week, the annual Under 15 Tournament comprises sixteen teams from secondary schools (on an invitational basis) who compete in a Cup and Plate section for the Rex Kerr Trophy.

Annual Under 16 Boys' Tournament

Every year in the third term school holidays, the Council holds New Zealand's premier tournament for Under 16 players, comprising teams from all member Provincial Unions, competing in two divisions for the Don Broughton Shield, the Saracens Cup and the Manaaki Tangata Trophy.

Annual Under 18 Boys' Competition

Every year in September, the Council holds a competition for Under 18 teams from member Provincial Unions, competing for the TrustBank Central Secondary Schools Shield first competed for in the 1990's.

Annual Under 19 Tournament

This competition comprises teams from Wellington, Hawkes Bay and Manawatu, and a Hurricanes Heartland Team (comprising players from the Council's member Heartland Provincial Unions), competing for the Central Region Shield on a home and away basis.

Annual Under 20 Heartland Development Series

Comprising teams from the regions Heartland Provincial Unions, the Heartland Development Series is held annually over two weeks, with teams competing for the Hurricanes Under 20 Cup.

Girls' Rugby Development Programmes

Every year, with the support of New Zealand Rugby, the Council provides Development Days, an Under 15 Tournament and an Under 18 Development Camp for young women within the Hurricanes Region.

Annual Hurricanes Sevens Tournament

The best secondary school Sevens players in the region (in Boys and Girls divisions) compete for the Hurricanes Secondary Schools Sevens Cup, hosted by Wairarapa-Bush.

Karaka Cafe Welcomed As Sponsor Of Central Region Shield

The Council is delighted to welcome Karaka Café (part of Manaaki Management’s superb range Wellington’s event venues) as the sole sponsor of the Central Region Shield for 2018.

The Central Region Shield is contested between the Under 19 teams from Hawkes Bay RFU, Manawatu RFU, Welllington and the Hurricanes Heartland Under 20 side, (a team which comprises players selected from the region's Heartland Provincial Unions, East Coast RFU, Horowhenua-Kapiti RFU, Poverty Bay RFU, Wairarapa-Bush RFU and Wanganui RFU).

2018 is the 36th year of competition for the Central Region Shield since the trophy was introduced in 1983. Wellington have won the Shield 16 times, Hawkes Bay 15 times and Manawatu 4 times.

The Shield was donated by Hawkes Bay Rugby Legend, Peter Loomes, who died in 2014. Loomes coached 13 Hurricanes teams at the U16 and U18 level to Championship Titles, before becoming a Hurricanes Age-Group Selector. He was also a member of the Hawkes Bay Rugby Referees Association.

Karaka Café and Manaaki Management carry the value that “alone we can do so little, together we can do so much” into growing their business, a sentiment that all teams in the Central Region Shield will share as they commence the Tournament on the weekend after next.

The draw for Round 1 of the Central Region Shield is:

18/08/18 : Manawatu vs Hurricanes Heartland : CET Arena, Palmerston North : 1.00pm.

19/08/18 : Wellington vs Hawkes Bay : Westpac Stadium : Wellington : 11.30am.

The Westpac Stadium match will be broadcast-live on Te Upoko o Te Ika 1161 (www.teupoko.co.nz).

(Published : 07/08/18)